10/30/2012

Criticized as pseudoscience by scholars, biodynamic viticulture is gaining force in Argentina, and delivering extraordinary wines, some of them very unique.
The practice of biodynamics in viticulture (grape growing) has become popular in recent years in several growing regions, including France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Australia, Chile, South Africa, Canada, Argentina and the United States. A number of very high-end, high-profile commercial growers have converted recently to biodynamic practices. According to an article in Fortune, many of the top estates in France, "including Domaine Leroy in Burgundy, Château de la Roche-aux-Moines in the Loire, Maison Chapoutier in the Rhone Valley, and Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace," follow biodynamic viticulture. There are currently more than 450 biodynamic wine producers worldwide. Currently, for a wine to be labeled “biodynamic” it has to meet the stringent standards laid down by the Demeter Association, which is an internationally recognized certifying body.

Like biodynamic agriculture in general, biodynamic viticulture stems from the ideas and suggestions of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), who gave his now famous Agriculture Course in 1924, predating most of the organic movement. The principles and practices of biodynamics are based on his spiritual/practical philosophy, called anthroposophy, which includes understanding the ecological, the energetic, and the spiritual in nature.

As a practical method of farming, biodynamics embodies the ideal of ever-increasing ecological self-sufficiency just as with modern agro-ecology, but includes ethical-spiritual considerations. This type of viticulture views the farm as a cohesive, interconnected living system.

FINCA DINAMIA

Gorgeous spring day at Rama Caida district, in the southernmost oasis of San Rafael Valley. Pedro and myself drove the 162 miles from Mendoza, to honour Alejandro Bianchi´s invitation to see his 14 hectare (2.5 acres: 1 hectare) estate and taste his wines.

Alejandro descends from a Italian immigrant family that founded a wine empire, the Bianchi family, so he is fourth generation of vintners, but after working several years in the family business, he decided to follow his own way.

This is no ordinary vineyard, as we observed, looked more like a garden, with grass between the vine rows, lavender bushes growing at each row head post, and farm animals: chickens, horses, caws, geese, and goats every were. A sense of peace fills the afternoon.
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Finca Dinamia, at San Rafael Valley, Mendoza

Very passionate about biodynamic practices, Alejandro, is now days considered among his peers as the "guru" of this practice in Argentina´s viticulture, while walking among the very healthy rows of his state, teaches us a great lesson on his way of winemaking, and the results show in his wines, as we later discovered.

At the moment he is concentrating only in two labels:

BUENALMA MALBEC: Its red ruby color and intense fruity character are obtained from the vineyard thanks to a balanced management of the ecosystem and ample day/night temperature range. On the mouth is gentle, velvety and with good intensity, and the finish is spicy with medium lenght. French wood ageing brings up complexity, elegance and sweet tannins.

BUENALMA MALBEC ROSÉ: Light but very bright red color. Delicate on the palate, with quince jelly reminiscences, a typical descriptor of south-of-the-state mendocinean malbecs. It has a round, fresh and balanced finish.﻿

KRONTIRAS WINERY

Pedro helds an annual "friends from the industry" asado every year in his estate. Winemakers, winery owners, agronomists and somelliers among other friends and characters assist to this soiree were the motto is that everybody has to bring a rare bottle of wine or an unique label or sample that never hit the shelves, this is, not in the market.

Back in 2007, new neighbors settled not far from Pedro´s, a Greek investor, Constantinos Krontiras, and his Argentinian wife, Silvina Macipe purchased an abandoned 80+ year old malbec vineyard, so he decided to invite them to his party. With the winery in the works, greek head winemaker Panos Zoumbulis and project manager Thanassis Vafiadis assisted with their wines, and guess what: huge success!

The only one in the world:
This winery was conceived to produce wine according to biodynamic principles. There were no rules or guidelines for this type of buildings at the Demeter Association, which is an internationally recognized certifying body, so the challenge was to design, build and certify without precedents.

The design minimizes the use of electricity, water, uses gravity flow system. All vinification areas are circular or curvy. The architectural design applied the famous PI π=3,14..., which symbolizes eternity and health. The golden number PHI φ=1,618..., which symbolized the perfect proportion, the divine symmetry in ancient times has also been applied in the winery’s design.
The absence of angles in the outside shape of the areas also symbolizes eternity and life. Right angles (90 degrees) do not exist in nature; they represent the death of two straight lines.
The walls of the wine cellar are built-in with straw. Straw is believed to absorb solar energy during growth, and this solar energy is slowly transmitted to our wines while aging in the cellar.
All building materials used in the winery have been sent for analysis to specialized laboratories in order to avoid risks of contamination, and comply with biodynamic principles.

Today, the team managed by Thanassis Vafiadis, include young promise agronomist Maricruz Antolin, and her cousin Leonardo Sesto at winemaking. They conducted a great visit for us that started at the field and ended at the tasting room, were their pasion and hard work, plus the practice of biodynamics fully showed in their wines!

These are the labels we have tasted, all four exellent wines:

DOÑA SILVINA ROSÉ MALBEC: Clean and brilliant rosé, with light ruby tones. White flowers and cherry notes, expressive and elegant. In the mouth it is round and warm with a fruity finish.

DOÑA SILVINA FRESH MALBEC: This Fresh Malbec is harvested during the last days of February and the beginning of March (earlier than regular malbecs). It is made from 100% Malbec grapes from certified organic vineyards of Maipu. Once in the winery a double selection is performed. First the whole clusters and then after desteming, a berry selection is made. The selected berries are then put into stainless steel-wheeled-vats, which are moved to the top of the tanks to fill them (gravity flow). The berries stay in the tank at low temperatures for 5-6 days, where we make a long cold maceration. The alcoholic fermentation takes place at low temperature also, in order to keep the all the aromas. Once the first fermentation is finished, the juice is separated. Malolactic fermentation then takes place in a natural way with wild bacterias. Then the wine undergoes a cold stabilization. This wine does not have any wood contact during its elaboration.

A deep ruby red wine with bluish tones. Fruity and fresh with the right acidity, opens up in the mouth and leaves the memories of matured berries wrapped in spicy slightly tannic notes that linger in the mouth leaving a very pleasant finish.

DOÑA SILVINA MALBEC: Dark red color wine, with very pleasant aroma of red fruits and oak.
In the mouth, hot, with great balance between alcohol and acidity, soft tannins and an elegant, refreshing finish. 90 points Parker, Tanzer and Wine Enthusiast.

Skeptic Brian Dunning writes "the best way to think of biodynamic agriculture would be as a magic spell cast over an entire farm. Biodynamics sees an entire farm as a single organism, with something that they call a life force."

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About us

Eduardo spent most of his life in the ski industry, owning now a Ski Area at Puente del Inca, in the border between Mendoza and Chile. Founder member of Rosell & Soler, a bespoke incoming luxury wine travel related company, he is an avid mountaineer, biker, fisher, traveller and horse rider, he is able to transmit his love for nature to all guests.

He is also a passionate wine connaissur and gourmand, it is said that he can write the Michellin Guide for Mendoza if he wants!. His fluent english was aquired while working in Aspen as a ski pro. He also is fluent in portuguese.

Eduardo volunteers his spare time on enviromental work, and he is fond of social projects involving native comunities engaging tourism activities as a way to preserve, showcase, and continue on with their traditions in a sustainable way. His motto is: "Nothing will renew your spirit like a good glass of wine, enjoing the Andes views while waiting for the asado!"